Michael Phelps at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Omaha, Nebraska.

OMAHA — After Michael Phelps ended his “last race on American soil” with his win in the 100 butterfly Sunday night, he saved his highest praise for Centennial’s Missy Franklin, who qualified for four individual events and says will swim a U.S. female-record seven Olympic events in London.

“She was always running back and forth,” Phelps said. “The biggest thing when you swim events like that is really controlling your energy, both emotionally and physically. Because a week like that there are so many warm downs and warmups and recovery. It takes a lot out of you. She seemed to do a great job.

“I think she was in the ice tub right after me the other night. She asked me how it was and I think my toes were cold for about an hour after I got out. I’m sure she felt the same way.

“But she’s on top of things. It’s going to be amazing for her to be able to come back in a couple weeks and do the same thing if not better.”

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Missy Franklin works out at the Lowry long course pool, in Denver, Thursday June, 7, 2012, as she gets ready for the up coming London Olympics.

OMAHA — Missy Franklin may not only be the new face of American women’s swimming, she could become the most prolific Olympic swimmer in American women’s history.

If she qualifies for the 200 backstroke Sunday night — she has the top time in the world — she will have qualified for seven Olympic events: the 100 and 200 backstrokes, the 100 and 200 freestyles and all three relays. No American woman has ever swam in more than six. That was Natalie Coughlin and Katie Hoff four years ago.

OMAHA — Dara Torres caused a lot of eyerbrows — and middle-aged couch potatoes — to rise when she came to the Olympic Trials four years ago at 41. She caused even more when she made the team. Well, guess what?

She’s back. At 45.

Torres, a 12-time Olympic medalist, is still swimming fast. She entered the meet with the eighth-seeded time of 25.16 and qualified fifth in Sunday morning’s preliminaries in 25.00.

“People were saying I was middle aged when I was 41,” Torres said, “but I’m really middle aged now.”

She still looks good. She has nary a wrinkle, still has that lean, hard body and has shocking blonde hair with not a hint of gray.

OMAHA — Ryan Lochte said it’s the most pain he has ever endured in the sport of swimming. Saturday night he won the 200 backstroke final, took second to Michael Phelps in the 200 individual medley then qualified in the 100 butterfly.

“I guess just being able to get up and racing the top people in the world nad racing them all the way to the finish,” Lochte said. It’s one of the hardest things to do because that first event, 200 backstroke, if you’re a backstroker, anyone can tell you it’s one of the hardest events out there. It just takes your legs out of you.

“And then being able to come back like 20 minutes later, going against Michael Phelps, I knew I was up for the challenge. It was definitely hard. I’m a little tired but I guess it’s good for you.”

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Kara Lynn Joyce reacts after the 50 meter Freestyle during day eight of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials at the CenturyLink Center July 2, 2012 in Omaha. Joyce's second place secured her spot on the U.S. Olympic swimming team.

OMAHA — Altitude isn’t a friend to all athletes. To Kara Lynn Joyce, a two-time Olympian, it didn’t help her at all. It’s one reason she left the Colorado Stars for SwimMAC in North Carolina.

“It’s been great,” Joyce said after qualifying third in Sunday morning’s 50 freestyle preliminaries. “The coach, team, everybody, very welcoming. You get work done right away.”

It’s been an unstable couple of years for Joyce, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in both the 400 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. After working out as a post-grad at the University of Georgia, her alma mater, she moved to Fullerton, Calif., and joined FAST, coached by Sean Hutchison.